I got the impression Iolan was asking about wine to serve with the meal, not as an ingredient. Given that it's a more casual, friendly dinner, I don't think you need to stress too much about the wine. One easy solution would be for Clark to ask Lois whether she prefers red or white, and open whichever she selects.
In general, a heavier meal goes best with a fuller bodied wine, while a lighter dish is served with a lighter wine. Both reds and whites can be fuller or lighter, and while the very general "rule" is that reds go better with beef/pork while white goes with chicken/fish, it really depends on the dish itself. The dish you've described seems more in the middle to me in terms of richness (especially if it's a cream sauce), so you're really flexible -- you could go with a medium-bodied red like Merlot or Shiraz or a medium-bodied white like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
Kathy (now I want to eat with them
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